


The mother who lived

by Rhodeswesterfeld



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Short One Shot, Survival, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-12-27 08:12:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12077100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhodeswesterfeld/pseuds/Rhodeswesterfeld
Summary: Lily thought she had died. She should have. But she lived.





	The mother who lived

**Author's Note:**

> This one-shot is an older work of mine that was posted on Fanfiction.net back in 2013. Decided to post it on my Ao3 account, too. The plot idea was mainly inspired by a post on Tumblr where Lily was pregnant with her second child and James agreed to let Snape be the Godfather.

' _I failed._ ' It was Lily Potter's first thought as she slowly regained consciousness. She didn't know how but she was sure this wasn't the afterlife. Heaviness stung her still-beating heart. No, Harry…Harry was dead. She failed.

" _Lily!_ " A voice called faint through the darkness, echoing.

She shivered as she heard a hiss of anger from someone near her. Then there was the sharp crackle of a spell being cast. But something was wrong. Lily hanged around quite a few who experimented with new spells that backfired. Whatever spell, no, the Killing Curse had backfired. A terrible scream shattered through the fog of her mind.

" _Lily!_ " There was a thud and she felt someone pick her up, holding her in a clinging embrace.

Lily opened her eyes. For a moment, she thought she was blind. But she realized she was staring into greasy black hair. "Se..Sev."

It was Severus Snape. He pulled back; face white as snow, staring down at her in disbelief that matched her own. She gasped, taking in air to breath as her body realized it still lived.

"Lily, but how…" Severus question, the words choked.

Lily slowly shook her head. She lived. But she remembered the green flash of light. Suddenly, there was a sharp pain her abdomen. She sat up despite Severus' embrace. In the light of the fallen lamp, she could make out blood staining her pants, near the crotch.

Severus noticed too. "Lily, I'm sor…"

"NO!" She screamed, finding her voice at last. The Killing Curse never failed to take life. She was spared only because of her unborn child died in her place. Lily tried to push him away, desperately looking towards the crib. She needed to see Harry, to see if she lost him too.

"Harry lives," Severus assured her, helping her to her son.

True, Harry was alive, crying his eyes out. Lily struggled to smile. "Harry…"

Severus stood. In a swift move, he took Harry from the crib and put him in his mother's arms. Lily clung to him like a security blanket.

…

Everything passed in a blur. She knew Dumbledore was there, and others of the Order. Severus spoke for her, explaining what happened. Lily heard people praise Harry when they heard. Later, she would find out they called him 'the Boy Who Lived.' Dumbledore kept how she survived a secret, mostly because of Severus' insistence on the matter.

A week had past. Lily stood dressed in black, holding Harry as they watched James' casket being lowered into a grave. Severus was close, standing by Lupin. If the mood had been different, Lily would have smiled at their unspoken truce.

Many people, most of whom Lily had known and a lot who she didn't approached her, offering condolences. She gave sharp nods but rarely spoke in return. Finally, James' grave was covered and the day grew dark.

"Lily," Severus called softly.

Lily turned to face him. Harry had fallen asleep, safe and sound. She looked to the man who had been her childhood friend. "Yes, Sev." She replied, not sure if she should have called him that.

There was a spark of hope in his eyes. He cleared his throat and spoke, though what he planned to say did not come out easily. "Lily…I…you can stay with me, until you find a place."

Lily sighed, looking to Harry. Their home was destroyed. She nodded, hoping she could trust him again. "That would be nice."

Severus gave a faint smile and waited until she was ready to leave.


End file.
